


Flutters

by Lizzie01022



Category: MDZS, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluffyfest, Happy Ending, LAN WANGJI/WEI WUXIAN - Freeform, M/M, POV Male Character, Pining, Slow Burn, WangXian, WangXian Week 2020, Wangst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:28:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23960836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lizzie01022/pseuds/Lizzie01022
Summary: In theory, Lan Wangji knew that he should stay away from Wei Wuxian. The two of them couldn't be more different. Yet everytime he saw him, the initial flutters he felt in his heart kept increasing.Basically it's a few scenes from the novel written in Lan Wangji's POV
Relationships: Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian
Comments: 12
Kudos: 73





	1. Flutters

Lan Wangji had just finished his seclusion. It was time for his daily night patrol. He quickly exits the Jingshi, with his sword, Bichen by his side.The night was calm and quiet. A cool breeze was blowing which helps him clear his mind.  
He suddenly hears a scurrying of footsteps.   
Wangji frowns ;no one from the Gusu Lan sect would be out at this time. The rules of the clans were imprinted on their minds practically ever since they were out of the womb. The cloud recesses forbids the disciples to go out after the curfew. Wondering who it could be, he chases after the sounds of the footsteps. He is met with a boy roughly his age, standing on top of a tall wall, trying to enter the recesses. Lan Wangji assumes he was one of the disciples from another sect who had come for completing his education. The boy wore a black robe and had his long hair tied messily by a deep red ribbon. He held two jars in his hands and looks at Wangji with a sheepish grin.  
"Returning after the curfew is forbidden. You may enter the recesses tomorrow after seven" Lan Wangji informs him in a monotonous tone.   
The boy doesn't say anything but adamantly stands in his place, showing no signs to back off.  
"What is that in your hands?" Wangji inquires, even though he was pretty sure of the answer.  
The boy smiles widely "It's Emperor's Smile! I have two jars with me, how about I give you one and you can forget you ever saw me?" He looks at Wangji expectantly.  
Lan Wangji was momentarily speechless. He had never faced anyone who would dare to bribe him. With alcohol, nonetheless.  
"Alcohol is forbidden in the Cloud recesses" he finally manages to say.  
He boy humphs and asks him "Then can you tell me what is not forbidden in the cloud recesses?"  
Wangji was flabbergasted  
"You can read the Wall of Rules in front of the mountain" he replies, the annoyance evident in his voice.  
The boy scowled for a moment.  
"Fine, if alcohol is forbidden in the cloud recesses, i won't go in. I'll drink it standing on the wall" saying so, the boy quickly opened a jar and started drinking.   
Lan Wangji had never seen such an impertinent person. Before he could think about it, he unsheathed his sword and attacked the boy. The boy was surprisingly fast to react. They sparred for a few minutes. Lan Wangji's suprise grew. He never really had fought someone whose skills were on par with his. The only one who came close to surpassing him would be his brother, Lan Xichen. But as he fought with the impertinent, annoying boy, he could sense that their cultivation was on a equal level. Lan Wangji managed to break the other jar the boy was holding.   
"My precious Emperor's Smile!" the boy wailed looking at the broken jar in dismay. He then looked up to Lan Wangji.   
"You'll have to pay for this"  
Lan Wangji managed to get a better look at the boy. Now that he noticed, the boy was extremely good looking. He had pretty eyes and an easy smile although at the moment,his lips were curved into a frown. His face shone in the moonlight and his carelessly tied hair somehow made him look more handsome.   
His heart flutters a little.  
Lan Wangji pulls himself up and wonders if his thoughts are messed up because of the suprise of finding someone who is equal to him.  
After a little while, he says "I will let you go inside just this once, since you were ignorant of the rules"  
"Ah, if only you had said so sooner, my jar wouldn't have been broken." The boy smirks at Lan Wangji.  
Ignoring the increasing flutters in his heart, he returns to the Jingshi, his head swarming with the thoughts of the boy.


	2. Library Pavilion

Lan Wangji soon learns that the boy's name is Wei Wuxian and that he is the head disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang clan. He'd heard of Wei Wuxian before, of course. He was quite popular in the cultivation world, not only because of his cultivation skills and good looks but also because of his circumstances. Wei Wuxian was adopted by Jiang Fiengman after his parents' death. There were many rumors surrounding him, particularly concerning the relationship between Cangse Sangren and Jiang Feingman and the reason clan leader Jiang took him in, but Lan Wangji wasn't the type to heed to such baseless rumors.  
Wei Wuxian was quick to make friends and soon had an amicable relationship with all the disciples who had come to Cloud Recesses for studying. He was good at talking, laughed with his entire heart and often made mischief. He was also the only one who often approached Lan Wangji to either talk to him or play a prank on him. Wangji had never encountered anyone like him. He never really had friends before. The boys his age would often keep their distance from him. Lan Wangji gave off a cold aura that not many wanted to deal with. That didn't deter Wei Wuxian at all. And even though Lan Wangji often reprimanded him with a 'shameless' he secretly enjoyed the attention. He wondered what it would be like to be friends with Wei Wuxian.  
His uncle wouldn't like that though. His uncle seemed to hate Wei Wuxian to death.   
"I have never met such an imbecile before; he's the worst kind of student;not only does he not pay attention, he brings the whole class down with him" he often heard his uncle grumbling  
In theory, Lan Wangji knew that he should probably stay away from Wei Wuxian. He was the complete opposite from Wangji, who was the model disciple of the Gusu Lan sect, one of the twin jades. Wei Wuxian was brash, brazen, and carefree.   
Yet everytime, Lan Wangji saw him, the initial flutters he had felt in his heart grew.  
The one month he had to look over Wei Wuxian as the boy did his punishment was both heaven and hell.  
Wei Wuxian often called out to Lan Wangji, writing him countless letters usually filled with carelessly scribbled words when he was met with the silencing charm. Wangji pretended to ignore him, crumpled up all the letters he received but nothing would deter Wei Wuxian. He was extremely thick skinned. Lan Wangji found him immensely distracting. He was no longer able to concentrate on his work and even had started making mistakes, which was unusual for him. After Wei Wuxian was gone, he collected all the crumpled letters that was written to him from the floor and kept it in his room. He felt like a fool doing so, but he couldn't help it.   
Wei Wuxian' s carefree attitude, his good heart, his easygoing nature, his love for mischief and that goddamn smile had Wangji falling for him more and more.  
The way he called his name 'Lan Zhan' with such glee made his heart race. Lan Wangji never had anyone call him by his birth name before. It felt really intimate. He loved calling him his birth name, Wei Ying too. No matter how hard Lan Wangji tried he couldn't shake off his feelings at all. So he stopped trying. Admitting to himself made him feel good too. He liked Wei Ying. Against all odds, he really really liked Wei Ying.   
Lan Wangji didn't expect any reciprocation for his feelings of course. Although he was sometimes jealous of the other disciples who seemed to be very good friends with Wei Ying, he was happy to like him from a distance. His happiness was short lived though. Because Wei Wuxian who was originally supposed to stay at the Cloud Recesses for six months was sent back to Yunmeng Jiang after three months due to his brawl with Jin Zixuan from the LalingJin Sect.


	3. The Forehead Ribbon

The Wen Sect had decided to hold a Discussion Conference in Quishan. The conference is supposed to last for seven days with each day having a different activity that will test the capabilities of the young masters and disciples from each sect. And even though the conference was said to be held to "increase the amicability and bonding between the future leaders of each sect", Lan Wangji knew that it was nothing but a show of power.   
The conference started with an archery competition. The twenty or so participants were supposed to shoot the paper mannequins which were possessed by an evil spirit.  
Lan Wangji was in midst of trying out his bow when he hears someone call out to him.  
"Hey! Second Master Lan... it's really you!"   
Lan Wangji stops in his tracks. The voice was exceedingly familiar.   
Roughly a year had passed since Wei Wuxian was kicked out of the cloud recesses. Although Lan Wangji knew Wei Wuxian would come to the conference,he didn't think he would call out to him. He had no idea how to react. Ever since Wei Wuxian left the Cloud Recesses, Lan Wangji always dreamt of how their next meeting would be-but now that it was really happening,he couldn't help but panic. Instead of replying, Lan Wangji walked away after testing his bow.  
He cursed at himself internally. The flutters in his heart had returned.   
There were twenty entrances to the shooting area, one for each Sect. Lan Wangji walked towards the GusuLan sect but found his path to be suddenly blocked by Wei Wuxian.  
It was very like Wei Wuxian to do something like this after being ignored.   
Lan Wangji shifted to the side but had his path blocked again. He moved over to the other side but was yet again stopped by Wei Wuxian.  
He was standing a little too close for comfort. Lan Wangji's heart was beating so fast he wondered if Wei Wuxian could hear it.  
"Excuse me" Lan Wangji said, raising his chin slightly.  
"Now you're finally talking to me. Were you pretending to not know me or could you not hear me?" Wei Wuxian asked, his tone making it obvious that he was teasing him.  
'my heart was beating so fast when I saw you that I panicked and left' didn't seem like an appropriate answer, so Lan Wangji just said "Excuse me" again.  
Wei Wuxian smiled and turned to the side.  
Lan Wangji wondered why it mattered so much to Wei Ying that he had ignored him. Every answer he came up with only made his heart beat faster. It was impossible. Lan Wangji knew there was no way Wei Wuxian even thought of him as a friend, let alone something more than that.  
He hears him shout from behind  
"Lan Zhan, your forehead ribbon is crooked"  
Lan Wangji quickly moved his hands to fix his forehead ribbon. The forehead ribbon has a lot of significant in the GusuLan Sect. It meant 'to regulate oneself'. Only parents and significant others could touch it, because only in front of them can you let go of your regulations.  
But as soon as he touched his ribbon, he could tell that it was in its proper postion. He turned around and frowned at Wei Wuxian who just stood there and laughed.

Lan Wangji was extremely skilled at archery. He almost never missed a target. As he was shooting the spirits, he noticed that one of the spirits was dangerously close to Wei Wuxian. The boy was occupied with the spirit in front of him and most likely did not notice the one behind his back. Lan Wangji quickly ran up to where Wei Wuxian was standing. With his back against Wei Wuxian, he drew his bow, prepared to shoot the mannequin.  
"Lan Zhan" he suddenly heard Wei Wuxian call  
"What?" Wangji replied   
"Your forehead ribbon is crooked"  
Rolling his eyes, Lan Wangji released the arrow, which neatly hit the mannequin on the chest.  
"Ridiculous"  
"It's true this time! Wait let me straighten it up for you" saying so Wei Wuxian pulled his forehead ribbon from his head.  
Lan Wangji's hands immediately gave out. He slowly turned around and locked his eyes with Wei Wuxian.  
This had to be a dream. His sacred forehead ribbon, the one that was only supposed to be held by parents and your other half was currently bieng squeezed in Wei Wuxian's hands.  
He quickly snatched his ribbon back.  
His thoughts were a mess. He could hear Lan Xichen by his side along with the rest of the disciples from the Lan Sect. They were all trying to calm him down, saying things like 'it doesn't matter', 'he is a man too'. The fact that it didn't matter to Wei Ying was what made Lan Wangji angry. He probably didn't even know what the forehead ribbon meant. The fact that he could stand there innocently, tugging at his ribbon while Lan Wangji suffered a turmoil of emotions was really so unfair. Lan Wangji withdrew from the competition.  
Whatever he did, he was unable to shake the image of Wei Wuxian holding his forehead ribbon.  
He wondered if Wei Wuxian realised how unintentionally cruel he was bieng.


	4. Pheonix Mountain

It was autumn in the hunting grounds of pheonix mountain.  
The LanlingJin Clan had kept a 'friendly' archery competition between the sects to commemorate their victory in the Sunshot campaign.   
Lan Wangji was worried how much the Jin clan was acting like the Wen Clan.  
It wasn't as if the main contributors of the Sunshot campaign was the Jin clan. It was Jiang Cheng who proposed the idea and Nie Mingjue who put the plan into action. And of course, the person who killed the most on the battlefield and helped them win the Sunshot campaign was Wei Wuxian.

Wei Wuxian...  
So much has changed since Lan Wangji first met him trying to sneak liquor inside the Cloud Recesses. Yunmeng Jiang Sect was burnt down and the Wen Sect had captured Wei Wuxian. They threw him into the Burial Mounds. The three months Wei Wuxian went missing,Lan Wangji could feel himself going mad. He searched everywhere, asked every spirit he could find, yet his efforts were futile. He teamed up with Jiang Cheng to both find Wei Wuxian and to bring down the Wen Clan. Lan Wangji could never forget the absolute relief he felt when Wei Wuxian had returned. But it was clear that a lot had changed. To survive in the Burial Mounds, Wei Wuxian had resorted to Demonic Cultivation. Lan Wangji had hoped that once he had returned, he would leave the heretic path and resume using his sword. But that didn't happen. Wei Wuxian continued his demonic cultivation.   
'addicted to the power', 'drunk in his own strength' , 'inhumane' were the few things the general public used to describe him.   
And even though Lan Wangji knew that demonic cultivation wasn't the right path, he also knew that Wei Wuxian will never cause harm to anyone innocent intentionally. That just wasn't the kind of person he was. 

The Sects were supposed to enter the hunting grounds of pheonix mountain on horseback. Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen led the formation of their Sect.  
Numerous women threw flowers at both of them. It was tradition for women to throw flowers at beautiful looking men they admired. They looked at the watchtower from which the women threw flowers in a display of respect.  
Out of the corner of his eyes, Lan Wangji could see Wei Wuxian throwing flowers at him. He quickly caught one of the flowers thrown at him by Wei Wuxian. He looked back. Wei Wuxian was excitedly talking to two maidens while walking alongside his brother Jiang Cheng who was on horseback.  
"What happened?" Lan Xichen asked him, concerned.  
"Wei Ying" was all that Lan Wangji could say.  
"What? Lan Zhan, did you call for me? What's up?" Wei Wuxian asked, acting suprised.  
Holding the flower, Lan Wangji asked, "Was it you?"  
"What? No!"   
"Don't listen to him, young master! It was him who threw the flower" one of the maidens replied, giggling.  
Wei Wuxian pretended to be hurt. "How can you treat me this way!" He whined looking at the maidens.  
A small twinge of jealousy shot through Lan Wangji's heart. Shaking his head, he continued forward.

Only the ones who could shoot the targets kept in front of the arena could enter the hunting grounds for the actual competition.  
Jin Zixuan was the first one to shoot the target. Lan Wangji could feel Wei Wuxian seethe in anger beside him. Wei Wuxian had never liked Jin Zixuan, presumably because of his sister,Jiang Yanli who wasn't treated very well by him in the past.  
After Jin Zixuan's perfect bullseye, his cousin Jin Zixun sneered "if anyone here remains unconvinced, feel free to try if you can shoot better than Zixuan." Lan Wangji could sense that his intentions were to provoke Wei Wuxian.  
Wei Wuxian smiled and suddenly turned to him  
"Lan Zhan, want to help me?"  
Lan Wangji looked at him.  
"What?"  
" Can I borrow your forehead ribbon?"  
Why does Wei Wuxian have to torment him this way? Lan Wangji turns away, hoping that Wei Wuxian didn't notice that his ears had gone pink.  
Lan Xichen laughed and said "Young Master you may not know, but our forehead ribbon-"  
Lan Wangji cut him off. "Brother, there is no need".  
How would Wei Ying feel when he comes to know about the ribbon's significance? Would he regret asking Lan Wangji for his ribbon? Would he apologize for taking off his ribbon back at the discussion conference? Would he feel awkward? Whatever Wei Ying's reaction would be, Lan Wangji wasn't ready for the hurt it would give him. It's better that Wei Ying never comes to know about the forehead ribbon.  
"Alright" his brother replied looking at him closely.  
Wei Wuxian quickly tied a piece of cloth over his eyes. Before anyone could fathom what he was about to do, he hit the target, right in the center while bieng blindfolded.  
The croud erupted in cheers.  
Jin Zixun frowned, clearly irritated. He challenged Wei Wuxian to keep his blindfold on during the entire event to which Wei Wuxian agreed.  
The event started.  
Lan Wangji roamed around the forest, unsure of what he felt. The ease with which Wei Wuxian flirted with him made him angry. Although he had convinced himself that Wei Ying would never like him back and that he was okay with liking him from a distance, Wei Wuxian's incessant teasing made it difficult for him to keep his control.Why does Wei Wuxian get to have such a power over him? Why does he get to flirt with Lan Wangji without getting flustered?Why was Wangji the only one getting hurt? Such thoughts were roaming in his head when he suddenly hears the familiar sound of a flute. He follows the sound and finds Wei Wuxian sitting peacefully against the bark of a tree, his eyes blindfolded. He had the courage to be this defenseless because he knew none of the other contenders could hurt a single hair on him. Somehow this made Lan Wangji more angry. He slowly approached Wei Wuxian.   
"You're here for the hunt?" Wei Wuxian suddenly spoke up.  
"You won't find anything good around here" he continued.  
Lan Wangji silently kept getting closer.  
Wei Wuxian sat up properly and smiled. He didn't really have a lot of people approaching him ever since he started using demonic cultivation.  
Lan Wangji pushed him against the tree and held his hand tightly so that Wei Wuxian wouldn't be able to remove his blindfold.  
He inched closer to Wei Wuxian and gently kissed him.  
Lan Wangji was shaking all over. This was not his original intent. He wasn't supposed to be doing this.  
Wei Wuxian's lips were extremely soft and he tasted like the sea. The scent of fresh grass enveloped him.   
'If he struggles, i shall stop' Wangji thought to himself.  
But Wei Wuxian didn't struggle at all. He sat there still while Lan Wangji kissed him.  
Why wasn't he struggling? He didn't even know who was kissing him. Somehow this made Lan Wangji more angry. He touched Wei Wuxian's cheek with his palm and kissed him deeper.  
Wei Wuxian gasped softly.  
After a long time, Lan Wangji left him reluctantly.  
He was feeling extremely heady. His breaths were extremely shallow and he found it difficult to even just stand. After his initial dizziness disappeared, Lan Wangji realised what he had done.   
It was extremely inappropriate of him to attack Wei Wuxian like that. He felt very angry at himself. He cursed at himself for giving in to his desires. It was unfair to Wei Wuxian. Guilt clawed at his heart. He felt like he never wanted to see Wei Wuxian again. He punched a tree so forcefully that it broke in half.  
"Lan Zhan! What are you doing?" A voice called out to him.  
Lan Wangji's eyes widened. He spun around to see Wei Wuxian standing there.  
The guilt in his heart increased by tenfold.  
"Go!" Lan Wangji said harshly  
"I just came here and you want me to go? Do you really hate me that much?" Wei Wuxian asked getting closer.  
If Wei Wuxian knew what Lan Wangji just did he wouldn't approach him so casually.  
"Stay away from me!"  
Wei Wuxian took a step back. "Lan Zhan? What's wrong? Are you okay? If you're not, just say you're not okay, alright?"  
The sincere concern in his voice made Lan Wangji hate himself. He could feel unbridled anger in his chest towards himself. He unsheathed Bichen and slashed all the trees surrounding them. He held his sword tightly till his knuckles turned white. After taking a few deep breaths he finally calmed down. Wei Wuxian was still standing there, his brows furrowed with concern.  
Lan Wangji looked at him. Beautiful, innocent, good natured , micheivious Wei Wuxian. Chenqing in one hand, the blindfold in other. Wearing a black robe,hair carelessly tied up with a red ribbon. Easy smiles and open heart, Wei Wuxian.  
The only one who dared to approach him. The only one whose skills matched Lan Wangji. The only one Lan Wangji had ever loved in his life, the only one he would ever love in his life.

"...Lan Zhan?"  
Lan Wangji realised that he was staring.  
"Nothing" he replied and turned around to walk away.  
He could hear Wei Wuxian chasing him. He suddenly felt his hands on his wrist.   
Lan Wangji jerked off his hand and looked at Wei Wuxian coldly. Why didn't he understand how tormenting this was to Lan Wangji?  
"Don't look at me like that. I just wanted to see of you were okay. You were acting really strange. Were you poisoned?"  
Seeing Wei Wuxian worry about him like this made Lan Wangji's heart flutter. Maybe...just maybe it was okay to hope. Hope for them to be more that whatever they were right now.  
"No" Lan Wangji replied curtly.  
Wei Wuxian relaxed a bit and smiled. He started talking about mundane things. Lan Wangji loved to hear him talk. He replied with monosyllables while fighting the urge to hold his hand  
Out of the blue, Wei Wuxian suddenly asked, "Lan Zhan, have you ever kissed someone?"   
Lan Wangji stopped in his tracks. Did Wei Wuxian know? The guilt he felt earlier returned.  
"Why are you asking this?" He asked, his voice stiff.  
Wei Wuxian grinned. "You haven't, have you? I knew it. I was just asking, no need to be so angry."  
This made Lan Wangji angry  
"How do you know?"  
"How do you think? With such a stiff face, no one will dare to kiss you. Of course i don't expect you to initiate a kiss either. You'll have to keep your first kiss till the end of your life hahaha"  
It was obvious Wei Wuxian didn't know that Lan Wangji just had his first kiss a few minutes ago. A question piqued in his heart.  
"What about you?" He wondered if it was Wei Wuxian's first kiss as well. He hoped that was the case more than anything. His hopes were soon crushed by Wei Wuxian's answer.  
"Me? Of course I've had a lot of experience"  
Lan Wangji's heart deflated.  
Of course Wei Wuxian has had a lot of experience. He was young, charming and popular with the maidens. It was foolish of Lan Wangji to even think any different. The recent kiss probably didn't even matter to him at all. Lan Wangji cursed at himself for the foolishness of his recent thoughts. No matter what his love will remain unrequited. He knew that since the beginning, then why did his heart hurt so much? Lan Wangji was reminded of the boundaries between him and Wei Wuxian. No matter how much he wanted, Wei Wuxian will never love him. Before he was okay with this fact but now he couldn't help but be hurt.


	5. The Downfall of the Yiling Patriarch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CAUTION: ANGST AHEAD

Wei Wuxian was here. This was probably the only time Lan Wangji had wished that Wei Wuxian wasn't near him. He wished for him to be someplace far away where he could be safe. But Wei Wuxian was here, in the place where all the Sects were joined together, planning a siege to kill both him and the Wen Clan remnants.  
Lan Wangji hears the familiar flute music. He runs towards the sound, and meets Wei Wuxian on top of the Palace of Sun and Flames. Lan Wangji pulls out his zither and plays it in attempt to calm Wei Wuxian. The flute suddenly stops playing.  
Wei Wuxian turns to him, his eyes red.  
"Lan Zhan. You should have known since long ago- the Sound of Lucidity is useless to me" he continues playing his Chenqing.  
Lan Wangji knew that of course. His only intention was to stop Wei Wuxian from playing the flute. Because it was clear to him that it wasn't what he wanted to do. His eyes were brim with sorrow. It was too much for Lan Wangji to bear. He unsheathes Bichen and attacks the flute.  
Wei Wuxian spun around and dodged his blade. "Fine, fine. I knew that we would have a real fight someday. You have always found me disagreeable"  
How could a person's perception of someone's feelings be so wrong? Lan Wangji suddenly felt his heart go cold. The way Wei Wuxian said those words. It was a tone of absolute defeat.  
"Wei Ying" Lan Wangji shouted out to him, his voice shaking. He wanted to cry and yell out to Wei Wuxian that he loved him. That he wasn't the monster that people were making him out to be. That he deserved to be loved.  
Lan Wangji suddenly hears Jiang Yanli's voice.  
"A-xian!"  
Wei Wuxian hears her voice too. He runs towards the battlefield, desparately searching for his sister.  
Lan Wangji follows him but by the time they reach Yanli, a corpse had already slashed her back. Lan Wangji quickly kills the corpse with his sword. Jiang Cheng ran to hold his sister. Lan Wangji holds Wei Wuxian's collar and orders him to stop the corpses.  
But Wei Wuxian wasn't listening to him. He pushed off Lan Wangji and ran towards his sister.  
Jiang Yanli was the person Wei Wuxian cherished the most. Lan Wangji was sure that if she ordered him to stop, he would do so. Lan Wangji's words might not have much impact on Wei Wuxian, but Jiang Yanli's words surely will.  
Right now, Wangji should help people fight. Sure enough, he soon hears Chenqing and the corpses fall down. He was just about to go beside Wei Wuxian when he hears a blood curling scream. Lan Wangji turns around to see Jiang Yanli lie motionless on her brother's lap while Wei Wuxian snapped the neck of a cultivator whose sword were stained with Yanli's blood.  
No.  
This was not supposed to happen.  
Wei Wuxian seemed to have lost the last bit of his sanity. He pulls the Stygian Tiger Amulet. Lan Wangji's blood runs cold.  
Hundreds of corpses were summoned, attacking everyone they saw on sight. Lan Wangji was attacked by 5 corpses at once. He wanted to rush to Wei Wuxian's side but the corpses kept hindering him. By the time they were all defeated, Lan Wangji could see Wei Wuxian had become incredibly frail. The corpses lost their power too. Lan Wangji knew that once the corpses were defeated, the Sect leaders would kill Wei Wuxian.  
He couldn't let that happen. He staggered towards Wei Wuxian, his energy almost drained by all the fighting.  
He holds out Bichen towards Wei Wuxian. Confused, Wei Wuxian held the hilt of the sword.  
Lan Wangji flew both of them out of Nightless City. Where should he go? Cloud Recesses was out of the question. They would be found out too soon. He remembers Wei Wuxian's lair in the Burial mounds. Maybe that would be the best place for now. 

They reach the Burial Mounds. Lan Wangji gently lays Wei Wuxian on the ground. He holds his hand and silently transfers his spiritual energy to Wei Wuxian.  
Wei Wuxian was unconscious. He had spent all of his energy during the battle in Nightless City. Approximately four hours later, he regained his consciousness. He was still unable to get up. He looks at Lan Wangji who was still transferring his energy.  
"Lan Zhan. W-why?" He croaked.  
"Wei Ying" Lan Wangji said, his voice full of emotion. "Please do not die. I- I like you. I love you, Wei Ying so please do not die"  
Wei Wuxian stared at him as if he didn't believe him.  
"I am a monster, Lan Zhan. I do not deserve to live. You saw what happened at the Nightless City. Shijie-" Wei Wuxian stopped talking.  
"You are not a monster. You didn't mean for it to happen. It isn't your fault-"  
"Then who's fault is it? I was the one who chose this path. I was the one who sent the corpses. Even after you warned me, Lan Zhan I continued on this heretic path." Wei Wuxian's voice was hopeless and it pained Lan Wangji to hear it.  
"Wei Ying-"  
"Lan Zhan"  
Lan Wangji looked over at him.  
"Get lost"  
Wei Wuxian's voice was filled with contempt.  
His heart sank. The words pricked him like needles.  
Two days later, they were discovered by the GusuLan Sect.  
Lan Qiren, Lan Xichen and thirty-three other disciples had come to fetch them.  
Lan Qiren ran upto Lan Wangji  
"What is the meaning of this?" Lan Qiren demanded.  
"There is nothing to explain, uncle."  
"What do you mean 'there's nothing to explain'? Why did you hide the Yiling Patriarch when the whole cultivation world is looking for him? Do i need to remind you of our Sect Rules? I'm sure you remember what Rule number fifty five is."  
Lan Wangji remained silent.  
"Kill the Yiling Patriarch" Lan Qiren ordered the disciples  
Lan Wangji unsheaths Bichen.  
"I shall attack anyone who hurts a single hair on him" he growls.  
"Pointing your blade against your own clan! What have you become!" Lan Qiren bellowed.  
Lan Wangji didn't care. He would fight against anyone who tried to hurt Wei Wuxian.  
All the disciples were injured. Even though Lan Wangji was weaker than usual, he was simply way out of their league.  
Lan Qiren sensed it wouldn't be easy to handle Wangji like this.  
"Fine. How about this? You come back to Cloud Recesses and receive punishment for your deeds. In return, we won't hurt Wei Wuxian."  
Lan Wangji knew this was non- negotiable. Maybe this was the best way he could protect Wei Wuxian.  
So he returned to Cloud Recesses with his uncle and brother.

His punishment for turning against his clan was getting hit by the discipline whip thirty three times, one for each disciple he injured.  
It hurt so much. His back bled profusely. The pain was so intense, Lan Wangji wished he would die. But he couldn't. Wei Wuxian was waiting for him in the Burial Mounds. He had to return to him.  
Lan Wangji was completely bed ridden. It hurt for him to even lift his finger. He had to recover soon though. Wei Wuxian still needed spiritual energy.  
"Wangji." He hears his brother call out to him one day. Approximately a week had passed since Lan Wangji received the discipline whip. He was still unable to get up from bed.  
"Brother"  
" Wangji. I'm afraid i bear some bad news"  
The hairs on the back of Lan Wangji's neck stood up. " What is it?"  
" Young master Wei is...dead"  
Lan Wangji felt like he was drowning in ice cold water.  
"No. He couldn't. H-how?" Wangji's brain was an incoherent mess.  
"His powers backfired. The corpses- they ripped him to pieces." Lan Xichen said slowly.  
Lan Wangji couldn't hear anymore. He started to get up.  
"What are you doing?" His brother asked him, alarmed.  
"I'm going to the Burial Mounds"  
"In that state? Wangji you cannot be serious. There isn't even a body left. Don't leave, i beg"  
"Brother. I have to go" Lan Wangji locked eyes with his brother.  
Lan Xichen understood that there would be no use arguing with his brother. He closed his eyes and nodded slightly.  
"Please come back" he said finally.  
"I promise"  
Lan Wangji dragged himself to Burial Mounds. He didn't know what he was looking for. It seemed as if all of Burial Mounds was burnt by the cultivators. There wasn't a trace of Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji sat there for a long time. As he was about to return, he heard soft sobs.  
He discovered a child shriveled up, sitting inside a tree hole. It was Wen Yuan. Somehow he had managed to escape the fires. He wasn't unharmed though. He had extremely high fever and was almost nearly dead. Lan Wangji took the child with him.  
He felt so much anger in his chest. On his way back to Gusu, he bought two bottles of Emperor's smile and drank them. It tasted bitter but he could understand why Wei Wuxian drank it. The thoughts in his brain muddled. He ran all the way to the Cloud Recesses.  
" You're back" he heard his brother who sounded a little relieved.  
"Lan Wangji, are you drunk?" Lan Xichen asked with disbelief.  
Lan Wangji didn't answer him  
He instead rummaged the storage of the GusuLan clan. He had no idea what he was searching for. He wanted a keepsake. Something to remind him of Wei Wuxian. Something that would stay with him for life. Anything. He sees the iron rods that were confiscated by the Wen Clan. He searches for the particular one with the same brand mark as what Wei Wuxian had received. After he found it, he heated it and hit the rod on his chest, at the same place Wei Wuxian had received the mark. The pain cleared his head for a while and then his vision faded to black.

When he regained consciousness, he found his brother by his side.  
"Lan Wangji" his brother sighed. "I don't know what to say"  
Lan Wangji looked away. His body felt numb.  
"You liked Young Master Wei"  
It was not a question.  
"I had my suspicions, but I didn't realise your feelings were this deep"  
Tears welled up in Lan Wangji's eyes.  
"It was not his fault, brother. He didn't mean for any of it to happen"  
"I think sometimes, the world is too quick to judge a person. I may have not known Master Wei that well, but I trust you"  
"I hate this world, then" Lan Wangji said bitterly.  
"Do you regret it? Liking Wei Wuxian?" Lan Xichen asks him softly.  
Lan Wangji ponders over this question. If he had never liked Wei Wuxian, things would have certainly been a lot easier for him. But in his heart he knew. "I could never. He made me feel alive."  
" I could see that" Lan Xichen whispered.  
"What are you going to do with the child?"  
"I will raise him as a Lan" Wangji replied without hesitating. Lan Xichen nods.  
A silence falls over them  
Lan Wangji starts crying. "It hurts so much. Why does he have to die? Why couldn't the world leave him alone? He never bothered anyone. He was the one ambushed first. It's so unfair brother, it's so unfair." Lan Xichen had never seen his brother cry before. Not when their mom died, not when Cloud Recesses was burnt. He was sure Lan Wangji cried then,but he was not around to witness it. Lan Xichen couldn't do anything but hold him, hoping Lan Wangji could find the strength to carry the weight of his cruel fate.  
*  
After three years, Lan Wangji's seclusion ended. He roamed around the world, going wherever there was chaos. A little part of his heart hoped for Wei Wuxian's return, but he knew it was impossible. Still he kept hoping. Apart from the possibility that Wei Wuxian could return, Lan Wangji really liked helping people. They were really grateful to him because usually cultivators didn't bother with cases that didn't help with their reputation. Lan Wangji's fame grew rapidly and he was known as 'HanGuang Jun' across the cultivation world. Even though the pain in his heart didn't ease, Lan Wangji had learnt how to live in a world without Wei Wuxian.  
Sixteen years had passed since the Siege in the Nightless City.  
Lan Wangji was wandering about, waiting for the young disciples from his clan who had gone to investigate a weird case of a dancing statue. They were taking a lot of time to return which had him worried. He soon sees a GusuLan sign in sky, which usually meant that the disciples were in trouble. As he reached the place from where he saw the sign, he heard the sound of a flute amidst the chaotic noises of the disciples.  
The flute was badly played, but Lan Wangji could recognise the tune anywhere. It was the only song Lan Wangji had ever written. And apart from him, there was only one person who had heard it. He runs and quickly grabs the hand of the one playing the song. The man stops playing and turns around to look at Lan Wangji. They lock eyes and Lan Wangji immediately knew inside his heart.

Wei Wuxian had returned.


	6. Epilogue: WangXian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter finally marks the end of the fic. This is not only my first fic in this fandom but also the first fic I've written in a long time so it is a little special to me. This chapter is filled with Wangxian fluff in contrast to the angst of the last chapter. Also there are not so subtle hints on wwx and jc reconciliation because that's what we deserve. Anyways, thank you for reading this far, I really hope you enjoyed it. And I hope to see you in the next fic. Thank you again!

Lan Wangji was never the one to believe in miracles. That is until he had met Wei Wuxian. The way he made Lan Wangji feel was a complete miracle in itself. The second miracle he had come across was Lan Sizhui, or A-Yuan. He was the one, along with Lan Xichen of course who stopped Lan Wangji from completely spiralling into madness from grief the sixteen years that Wei Wuxian was dead. And now Lan Wangji was yet met with another miracle. Wei Wuxian had come back and not only that, but both him and Lan Wangji managed to clear his name and reveal the true and evil intentions of LianFang Jun. But the miracle part of the whole ordeal according to Lan Wangji was the fact that Wei Wuxian actually returned his feelings. Something that Lan Wangji had always deemed impossible. He could never forget how he felt while listening to Wei Wuxian's ardent and sincere confession .Though he was elated beyond reason, he couldn't help but cry as he held Wei Wuxian tightly to his chest.   
They became cultivation partners, going wherever there was trouble and helping people out together.

This day in particular was extremely dull. There wasn't any trouble to be found. Both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji agreed to simply stroll the streets and talk. Even the most mundane things became enjoyable when the two of them were together.  
"Lan Zhan" Wei Wuxian called out to him  
"Mn?"  
" Can I tie your hair today?"  
Lan Wangji frowned "Why?"   
"I don't know, i just want to. Come on please say yes" Wei Wuxian looked at him with wide eyes.  
Lan Wangji sighed. "Fine" He could never refuse him anyways.  
Wei Wuxian grinned and quickly got to work. He hummed softly while tying his hair.  
Lan Wangji smiled as he recognised the tune he was singing.  
After a few minutes Wei Wuxian shifted a little backwards to admire his work. He laughed loudly.   
Lan Wangji looked in the mirror to see his hair tied in the exact same manner as Wei Wuxian's. A little messy with a few hair coming out of the tie from the front.  
"Hahahaha Lan Zhan, you look ridiculous. I only wanted to see you in my hairstyle...but this doesn't suit you at all. It doesn't go with your prim and proper image hahaha"  
Lan Wangji smiled a little. "I think it looks good"  
Wei Wuxian stopped laughing, his eyes shining.  
"Lan Zhan"  
"Mn"  
" When did you fall in love with me?" He asked out of the blue.  
Lan pondered over his question. When did he fall in love with Wei Ying?  
"I'm not sure of the exact moment but I know that everytime I saw you, I fell a little more in love with you."  
"What cheesy words! Is this to be expected from the one who is called HanGuang Jun?" Even though Wei Wuxian was teasing, his face was completely red. Lan Wangji found it very endearing.  
"What about you? When did you realise that you...love me?" This was something Lan Wangji had always wondered.   
Wei Wuxian's expression grew solemn. He tilted his head slightly and appeared to be in deep thought.  
"I'm not very sure either. I only realised my feelings after I came back as Mo Xuanyu and spent all those days with you. But now that I think about it, I might have been in love with you since the beginning. You were the only thing I could talk about after returning from Cloud Recesses. If I didn't like you since the beginning, why would I tease you so mercilessly everytime I saw you?"  
" I thought you did that to everybody" Lan Wangji replied.  
"Hahaha no. Only you, Lan Zhan. I'm not that shameless. You know what? Maybe I fell for you even before you fell for me!"  
Lan Wangji smiled. "That is not possible" he said as he leaned in to kiss Wei Wuxian.  
The kiss was soft and lingering. Only after a long time, did the two part just the slightest.  
"Aww Lan Zhan, your hair is even more messed up now"

*

The two roamed around the streets aimlessly. Wei Wuxian would excitedly run around, sometimes joining the children playing on the streets, sometimes asking Lan Wangji to join him in eating some wierd street food. Evening fell and they decided to call it a day.  
"Are you going to meet Jiang Cheng tomorrow?" Lan Wangji asked him as they made their way back to the inn they were currently staying in, their hands intertwined.  
"Yes. I think we both have a lot of things to talk about. I don't think we can ever go back to what we were...but I hope we can start anew."  
"Mn" Lan Wangji held complicated feelings towards Jiang Cheng. He was angry at him for leading the Siege and not bieng by Wei Wuxian's side when he needed him the most. He was angry at the way he treated Wei Wuxian even though he was the reason he had his core. But recently Jiang Cheng had mistakenly let it slip as to why he had lost his core in the first place. Which made Lan Wangji think that there were probably more sides to Jiang Cheng than he knew.  
"You're worried, aren't you?"  
Lan Wangji was still getting used to the fact that there was someone besides his brother who could read him so well.  
"Mn"  
"Don't worry! I'm sure we'll make up. We're brothers after all. Also we have Jin Ling connecting us now"  
"You love him, don't you?" Lan Wangji asked softly.  
Wei Wuxian nodded. "He's family" was all that he could say.  
Lan Wangji gently squeezed his hand.  
"Lan Zhan I'm so hungry" Wei Wuxian groaned, changing the topic."Let's find someplace to eat first."  
"No" Lan Wangji replied  
"No?" Wei Wuxian asked him, looking somewhat suprised.  
"I want to cook for Wei Ying" Lan Wangji had recently learnt how to cook a particular dish which had always been Wei Wuxian's favourite . He had already asked the owner of the inn the permission to borrow their kitchen.  
Wei Wuxian grinned brightly  
"Oh really?! I would love that. I love the food that you make. What are you cooking this time?" He asked excitedly.  
"Lotus stem and rib soup"  
Wei Wuxian's eyes suddenly became hazy. Lan Wangji wondered if he had overstepped a boundary.   
"Is it not okay?" He asked softly.  
"No, it's really fine. I am so happy Lan Zhan that you would make that for me. It's just that it reminds me of Shijie. I really miss her, you know?"  
Lan Wangji nodded. He really did know. That was the reason he learnt to make this soup in the first place.  
As he made the soup, Wei Wuxian kept hovering around him, laughing and talking endlessly on how this was 'always his dream'   
After the soup was ready, Lan Wangji poured it in a bowl and placed it in front of Wei Wuxian.  
"Mmmh that's smells so good Lan Zhan. You really such a good cook. Is there anything you can't do?"  
"Eat" Lan Wangji said fondly.  
Wei Wuxian put a spoonful of soup in his mouth. His eyes widened.  
Lan Wangji looked at him silently asking him a question.  
"It's not like Shijie's." Wei Wuxian answered.  
Lan Wangji's heart deflated a little.  
"But it is just as good. It has it's own taste. It's so delicious, Lan Zhan" Wei Wuxian continued, his eyes tearing up a little. "Shijie's soup made me feel at home. And even though yours taste a little different, it gives me the same feeling."  
Lan Wangji smiled.   
"I'm glad you liked it"  
"Lan Zhan?"   
"Mn"  
" I love you. So so much"  
Lan Wangji's heart raced as he heard the words that he had wished to hear for so long.  
"I love you too, Wei Ying"


End file.
